Return bend for cracking stills



May 15, 1934. c. E. ARD

RETURN BEND FOR CRACKING STILLS Filed Jan. 25, 1935 INVENTOR awif/w BY M %QR EY weight, owing to Patented May 15, 1934 RETURN BEND FOR CRACKING STILLS Charles E. Ard, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Fred C. Fantz, Webster Groves, Mo.

Application January 25, 1933, Serial No. 653,394

1 Claim. (Cl. 285-) My invention relates more particularly to that ass of return bends which are used to connect higher temperat this tendency is return bend has ures. The inevitable result of that the construction of the some instances in practice have run up to as high as temperature.

toggle will be used to compress or seal the joint which is in compression between the housing and the U bend. As a consequence it By means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readily pian view of the view.

same; and

15,000 lbs. pressure and 1400 degrees v Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the the manner of making the connection between 05 any danger of the tube giving serves to hold the tubes in alinement when the U bend 1 is removed.

The annular In the groove 5 I mount a. ring which is split 5 stances for off. The only pressure which tends to produce such a result would be produced by the fluid on the interior of the tube on-return bend.

It will be also apparent that by this construction and in view of the foregoing statement that the entire construction can be very much lighter than is the case under normal circumthat there is no joint between the tube and the U bend or between the tube and the annular member that has to be sealed. The only joint which necessarily must be sealed is that between the U bend and the tube itself and this as stated, is sealed by compression.

Although I have described a groove formed in the tube, it may be found desirable in practice to provide an upset shoulder on the tube and I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise structure shown in this case. Having described my invention what I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a refinery apparatus, a conventional return bend adapted to connect a pair of upset still tubes to provide a continuous passageway therethrough, a housing comprising annular portions adapted to encircle the end of said tubes, upwardly extending side walls on said annular portions, toggles mounted in said side walls, set screws in said toggles, the inner ends of which contact abutments formed on said return bend, there being peripheral grooves in the upset portion of said tubes, a resilient split ring mounted in each groove, said ring being V shaped in cross section, annular beveled surfaces on the face of the return bend which are fitted to and coincide with the upper surfaces of said rings, corresponding beveled surfaces on the inner walls of said annular portions which contact the lower surfaces of said rings, whereby the tightening of said set screws operates to compress said rings and seal the joint between the return bend and the tubes.

CHARLES E. ARD. 

